


I have never been safer

by voidfoxstarlight



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Protective Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Soft Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer shows up but only for like 3 sentences, geralt and jaskier love each other so much, i only finished the show yesterday, i wrote this at 8 in the morning as soon as i woke up, jaskier gets kidnapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2021-02-25 15:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22338316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/voidfoxstarlight/pseuds/voidfoxstarlight
Summary: It was the lute that gave it away. It was at the edge of the road behind the inn, kicked out of the way by horses or guests or whoever.Jaskier did not goanywherewithout his lute.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 5
Kudos: 587





	I have never been safer

**Author's Note:**

> listen i've only watched the netflix show but i'm already in too deep

It was the lute that gave it away. It was at the edge of the road behind the inn, kicked out of the way by horses or guests or whoever.

Jaskier did not go _anywhere_ without his lute.

Still covered in graveir guts, Geralt had planned to return to the inn, share a nice meal and nicer bath with Jaskier, and turn in for bed. It did not look as though he would be getting any of those things.

Geralt crept into the inn through the pantry and tried the door to the room they were renting. Locked. He knocked. No answer. He left the way he’d come in, startling a kitchen maid but shushing her quickly and moving on. He’d try the stables next.

Amidst the stench of wet hay and horse shit, there was a much more ominous smell: blood. It hovered in the air like an omen, like a storm cloud. There―by the entrance. Blood flecked the ground, too stale the reflect the moonlight. 

Geralt knelt by it, searching the ground for Jaskier’s bootprint (it was noticeable because a dandelion was etched into the sole of his shoe―the man spent a good deal of coin things he liked, and fancy engravings were the type of thing he liked) but to no avail. If Jaskier had been here, his presence wasn’t going to be betrayed by his bootprints. Too many people went in an out of the stables each day.

As he stood, a scrap of fabric on the door caught his eye. It was caught on one of the nails where the stablehands hung the horses’ reins. Geralt held it up to the moonlight and almost stopped breathing. Without a shadow of a doubt, the silky fabric belonged to the puffed up sleeves of Jaskier’s doublet.

He stormed back into the inn and grabbed the innkeeper by the collar, almost dragging him over the counter of the bar. “Where is he?” he roared.

The innkeeper made a noise like a mouse and tried to push Geralt’s hands away. “Where is―where is _who_?”

“Don’t play games with me, innkeeper,” Geralt hissed, dragging the man closer. “Tell me where he is, or I’ll―”

“Geralt!”

Geralt dropped the man and spun around. Jaskier stood in the doorway, looking remarkably unharmed aside from the tear in his right doublet sleeve. Yennefer leaned against the door frame behind him.

Jaskier rushed forward. “Geralt, stop, it was Nilfgaard. The townspeople didn’t do anything. It was Nilfgaard.”

He had one hand on Geralt’s arm like he thinks he’s going to try to strangle the innkeeper again. The tavern guests, who had gone silent when Geralt started threatening the innkeeper, looked like they expect the same.

“Jaskier,” Geralt said in a low tone, “a word in private.”

They headed to their room. Yennefer didn’t try to follow them, thankfully.

Jaskier fumbled in his pockets for a few moments before he found the key. When he found it and let them into the room, Geralt wasted no time in closing the door behind them and pushing off Jaskier’s doublet.

“You are not unharmed,” he said, more to gain confirmation of what he already knows than to ask a question.

“My arm,” Jasier said, and now that he had the doublet off, Geralt could see a shallow stab wound in his upper arm.

He gently peeled Jaskier’s shirt off and tossed it in the corner with the doublet. He should have likely called for a bath, to better clean the wound, but he didn’t want anyone intruding on them in this moment. No one would ever see Jaskier injured and in pain if Geralt could help it. He wet a rag with water from his canteen, instead, and wiped it gently over the wound. 

Jaskier closed his eyes. Geralt stopped, but Jaskier said, “No, it’s fine,” so he resumed his task.

When the wound was clean, it proved easy to bandage, and in no time Jaskier was in a fresh shirt and looking like he’d never been hurt in the first place.

Geralt held him loosely, with his hands resting on Jaskier’s arms just above the elbows. “What happened?”

“Nilfgaard,” he said. “They don’t like that you’re helping the Northern kingdoms. They thought if they kidnapped me and made it look like townspeople had done it, you would hurt them. And, well, you know how rumors spread―you wouldn’t have been welcomed in any town south of Novigrad after that.”

Geralt didn’t deny it. He would have burned down the entire town if it meant keeping Jaskier safe.

“Yennefer found me. Helped me escape.”

“I will have to thank her.”

Gently, so as not to jostle his wound, Geralt pulled Jaskier against him. Jaskier leaned into him, tucking his head easily under Geralt’s chin. He pressed his ear against Geralt’s chest, and Geralt knew he was listening to his heartbeat. Geralt wished it could be he with his ear against Jaskier’s chest, reassuring himself of the other’s vitality.

“You are safe now.”

“I have never been safer than when you hold me in your arms,” Jaskier murmured.

**Author's Note:**

> come hang out on my tumblr @voidfoxstarlight


End file.
